1. Field
The invention is related to a method and apparatus for aligning a large diameter optical fiber, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for aligning a large diameter optical fiber that uses a pair of power detectors.
2. Related Art
There are several instances in which it is necessary to align optical fibers. For example, to achieve low loss splices when axial splicing two fibers together it is important to make certain that they are perfectly aligned with each other. If they are not aligned, optical power can be lost at the splice point. Materials, other than glass, may also be aligned and processed, such as stripping insulation, and ablating materials.
A conventional method for aligning large diameter fibers (fibers that are larger than approximately 1 mm in diameter, is to use an XY camera system to “see” the fiber along with a feedback system linked to an XYZ motor controllers or drivers.